There Must Be More
by Insper A. Shen
Summary: Post HBP and sequel to What is Left When All is Said and Done. Snape disappears after Ron's funeral, and Hermione's the only one that knows why. COMPLETE! [for now]
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes:

This story is the sequel to "What is Left When All is Said and Done", which should definitely be read first, or else even the first sentence won't make sense to you.

Chapter 1

The funeral for Ronald Weasley was held a few days after his death, near the site of where Dumbledore's had been. The crowd that had gathered was small; they had decided that too many questions would be raised about Harry's still-weakened condition as well as Hermione's presence, given that according to public knowledge she had run off with the traitorous Snape a scant few days ago. Plus, this way Dumbledore — whose resurrection they were keeping a secret for the time being — and Snape — whose true loyalties were also being kept secret — could attend. Not that the latter particularly wanted to.

"He saved your life!" shouted Hermione from his doorway.

"No, he saved _yours_. I'm sure he would have stood there and applauded if you hadn't jumped in the way."

"I can't believe you're not going to go." She stamped her foot.

"_I_ believe I have already suffered enough because of the Weasley family."

"It's a funeral, for God's sake!"

"I don't understand why you're insisting I attend."

"_Because_, I'd want you at mine!" And with that, she slammed the door and stormed away for the third time in as many days. Severus sighed. These past few days had been…confusing, at best for him. He was back in Hogwarts for the time being because of the dangers that awaited him outside the walls. He had thought that it would be peaceful, what with all the students and most of the faculty gone as well. What he had _not_ counted on, was Hermione's mission to make sure he did not isolate himself in his dungeons. Even Albus had told her that he was a solitary man and protected his privacy jealously. This did not deter the Gryffindor, however, from intruding on him at least once a day.

"Shouldn't you be spending time with your friends, Miss Granger?" he had inquired when she had come to his door for the second time the morning after Harry have been revived. The first time, he had ignored her knocking and sent a house-elf to tell her he was still sleeping. Which wasn't true, of course. He knew he couldn't use the same excuse again now and so was trying a different tactic.

This time s_he_ ignored _him_ and marched right on in with a most peeved expression on her face. Without asking, she sat down in the armchair facing the one he had just been occupying.

"Did I —"

"They won't stop snogging!" she erupted. "I know what Dumbledore said, but I don't think he meant that they should be running around snogging each other endlessly. I swear, it's like Ron and Lavender all over again!"

Caught off guard and speechless for perhaps the first time in his life, Severus returned to his chair and sat down. He picked up his tea and stirred it once before speaking.

"He's under a lot of pressure," he started.

"_You_!" she exclaimed incredulously. "_You're_ taking Harry's side? Of all the people, I had expected _you_ to sympathize."

"And as much as I _do_, Hermione, I think you have to give him a bit more leniency. After Ron's funeral, he'll be leaving the safety of Hogwarts all over again to find the other Horcruxes. Don't you think he deserves a _little_ sympathy?" A _hmph_ was his only answer, but he accepted it.

While he took a sip of his tea, she asked, "And what about _me_? _I'll_ be going off with him too! Don't _I_ get to snog anyone?" Severus couldn't help choking and sprayed the tea all over himself.

"Excuse me, Miss Granger?" he asked as he dried himself off with his wand.

"You heard me. And it's Hermione." She left it at that. Severus carefully set his teacup and saucer down, making sure his hands did not shake as he did it. Then he looked Hermione straight in the eyes.

"Fine, _Hermione_. And do you have a suggestion as to _whom_ you might fancy a snog with? I hear Argus Filch is especially free these days since the students have been gone. Or perhaps Hagrid?" He knew he was only stalling, but he had to do it anyways.

"Or perhaps you?" she proposed, as seductively as a petulant teenager could.

_Careful, Severus, she's just lost one of her best friends. Best not scare her away too harshly_.

"Hermione, even if I were _not_ your professor and _twice_ your age and forgetting the fact that both Albus _and_ Minerva would kill me if they found out, I hardly think kissing you to get back at Harry and Ginny is a good idea." He steeled himself not to run for it when she got up and started approaching him.

"You're _not _my professor any longer," she said, ticking off each counterpoint with a swish of her hips, "I _don't _care about age — _swish_ — _nobody_ ever has to know — _swish_ — and who said anything about getting back at Harry and Ginny?" She was standing dangerously close in front of him now. He gulped as she leaned down over him and placed her hands on the armrests on both sides of him to support herself. She positioned her face inches from his and waited.

"No, Hermione." She didn't move.

"Why not?"

"Because," — he grabbed one of her wrists and twisted it so that she was forced to kneel down on the floor beside him — "I _know_ you're not thinking with a clear head at the moment, and I won't let you do something you'll regret later." She whimpered in pain, but he held on to her to make his point. "You've just lost Ron and gone through more than a fair share of dangerous experiences with me in the last forty-eight hours. You're confused and hurt and you think it will all stop if we kiss. But let me tell you, Hermione, as a friend: it won't, and you'll regret it." He let go of her then, and she took off crying.

_Way to bungle it, old man. You forgot the part about her being beautiful and intelligent and respecting her too much to grant her with a pity kiss from a lecherous old fool._

But it was exactly those things that had made what she had proposed so very tempting to him, and consequently, the reason he had driven her away in tears. Sure, he could have taken advantage of her then, relieved some of the tension that had existed over them (and, although his mind would not admit it, _between_ them) for the last two days. _Hell, she had been begging for it!_ But even he also knew that that would have been followed by an awkwardness that would have been far harder to endure. Plus, he was sure there had been something going on between Ronald Weasley and her. He would never, never stoop to being a replacement for a Weasley. And with that, he turned his thoughts away from the girl and returned to the book he had been reading.

The next morning, he had been surprised to hear her call at his door again. Even more surprising, though, was that instead of ignoring her as he had meant to do, he found himself answering it. She entered silently, keeping her eyes to the ground. Curious as to what had caused her drastic change in demeanor, he inquired, "What may I do for you, Miss Granger?"

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior yesterday." _Ah, so that was it_.

"Apology accepted," he said gruffly, expecting her to leave. When she didn't move, he prodded, "Is there anything else you need?"

"Might I…might I stay with you a while? I — I won't try to snog you again, I promise," she rushed. "You won't even know I'm here. It's just…I don't have anywhere else to be right now." _And no one else to be with, _were the silent words that followed her sentence. Severus chose not to embarrass her needlessly by pointing out that there was the whole of Hogwarts, excluding his rooms, where she could be occupying her time and took pity on her.

"Fine," he said, "but I reserve the right to kick you out at any time." Severus wished he could have bottled the look on her face then. She was true to her word, for the most part. It turned out that she had brought a book — several books, in fact — with her, and she plopped herself down in the chair she had sat in for such a short time the day before. An hour or so later, when Severus looked back up from his book, it was to find that she had moved down onto the fur rug and was lying on her stomach with her head propped in her hands and one knee bent. What had caused him to look up, though, was the fact that she was humming. _Humming_. He cleared his throat, which caught her attention. A quick draw of breath followed the stopping of the tune.

"I'm sorry, sir," she said with big, brown eyes. "I didn't mean to —"

"Please make sure you don't repeat it," was his curt reply. And he settled back into his book, only glancing up one more time to watch her swinging her legs back and forth. A grunt was all it took for her to freeze and slowly lower them down. Afterwards, there were no more disturbances until lunchtime.

A house-elf had appeared inquiring if his guest would be joining him for lunch. She had immediately replied, "Yes," while he had declined. Confused, the elf stood there looking at the two of them bicker back and forth.

"Why can't I eat here with you?"

"I prefer to dine alone."

"I've eaten dinner with you before."

"Those were different circumstances."

"_Argh_…why do I even try?" She picked up her books and made for the doorway. "I'll never understand you, Severus Snape," she said before slamming the door and leaving. _And I hope you never will_.

As platonic as the interchange between them had been that morning, it still scared the hell out of him. Somehow, the girl had worked her way into his life, and even more frightening, he had let her. He wanted to blame it on the synergetic confluence of events — her disrupting his suicidal plans, his confiding in her of his past, her believing in him, and lastly the hope she had brought him regarding Dumbledore's survival. But the truth was, had it been any other person, he would have blasted them to bits and pieces upon learning that they had been posing as Lily, or upon finding them intruding on his private residence, or even upon attempting to _hug_ him.

No, there was something different about this one, and he wasn't quite sure he was ready to reason out why to himself yet. Easier to concentrate on all the reasons why _any_ type of relationship with the girl wouldn't work out. She was about to leave with the Boy-Who-Lived-to-be-a-Prat, for one thing. He knew how dangerous their mission would be, and there was no point in endangering it further by producing anything that could be used as a wedge between the two of them. Plus, despite Albus' return, he was still pretty sure he wasn't going to survive the year. It had been something he had accepted long ago, and he didn't need some bossy little chit ruining everything for him by convincing him that his life was too important to sacrifice. The last person that had thought that of him had died by Voldemort's own hand. And he would never admit this to anyone else, but he also didn't want the guilt of knowing that she would grieve for him on his shoulders. The girl was making him soft, and that was something he could not let happen, not while he still had to spy on Voldemort. Just one crack in his occlumentic shield, and the Dark Lord would have his entire mind at his disposal. It was too much to even bear imagining. Thus, he had driven her away, yet again. _This had to stop_.

This morning, as much as he had tried to ignore the pounding on his door, after ten minutes he had had enough and threw it open. She had been standing there, arms akimbo, demanding why he wasn't going to the funeral. Which brought him to the present, where he was left staring at a door that had been unceremoniously slammed in his face. He made his decision then, although the voices in his head wouldn't stop arguing.

_This is for _her_, not for me!_

_Right, if it really _was_ for her, you'd stay as far away as possible from her!_

_She _needs_ someone right now._

_And who says it's you?_

_If _not_ me, than who?_

That argument seemed to shut the other voice up and he proceeded to get dressed for the outdoors. There was no need for him to wear anything special for the funeral; all his clothes were already color-appropriate. But even though it was the middle of summer, the day was unseasonably chilly. Clouds hid the sun from appearing properly and a brisk breeze blew in from over the lake.

When he approached the grave, they had already started. The Headmaster was giving the eulogy while the Weasley clan was gathered in front of him. Hagrid and McGonagall were also there representing the rest of the Hogwarts staff. Harry was hugging a crying Ginny while Hermione…while Hermione was standing all by herself in the back, far away from the others. She was still punishing herself, he knew. Still blaming part of his death on her. He walked up to her from behind and offered a handkerchief. She accepted it blindly and blew her nose in it. He remained standing awkwardly behind her, trying to decide whether or not he would accept it back from her should she choose to return it to him. The choice was made for him, however, when she pocketed it and turned around.

"Oh, Severus," she cried as she reached around his neck with both hands and clung to him. Knowing what she needed, he put his arms around her and gave her as much comfort as he could. They stayed like that for a while, even after the service had finished. It was much colder now, but he continued to hold her until she was done grieving.

"Thank you, Severus," she said, placing a hand on her chest and arching back to look into his eyes.

"I'm sorry…about before," he offered. She blew her nose again.

"It's all right. And I'm sorry, for barging in on you like that."

"You're forgiven," he answered back. "I wanted you to know, Hermione —" He was going to say, "— that I _wouldn't_ have gone to your funeral because I would have done everything I could have to prevent it," but just then the tattoo on his left forearm flared to life.

"_Arrrgh_…" he cried as fell to the ground, clutching his arm in pain.

"Severus!" She knelt down beside him. "Is it the Dark Mark? Is he calling you?"

He could only nod in response. Finally, he regained enough control to tell her, "Run! Go tell the Headmaster what's happened!"

"Promise me you'll come back!"

He would do no such thing. Instead, he only repeated, "Go!" Crying, she got up and left him alone on the lawn. He slowly made his way to the gates, beyond which he knew he could Disapparate. If the pain with which the Mark was inflicting on him was any indication of the Dark Lord's mood, he feared this would be the last time he saw these gates. And with that thought, he vanished.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Heeding his last words to her, Hermione ran with all due haste back to the castle. _Not him too, not him too_, were the words that repeated in her head over and over again. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, she had begun to think of Severus as an integral part of her life. Those words that she had said to Ron what seemed so long ago now rang true for her ex-professor: "…After everything that's going to happen in the next few months. _I need to know that_ _you'll be there_." She had come to accept that Ron wouldn't be able to live up to this expectation of hers, but she didn't think she could bear losing another friend.

That she could think of Severus Snape as a friend was still something that surprised and, honestly, frightened her. How just a few days could erase six years of precedence… She would agree, however, that much had been revealed in those few days that justified a repositioning of relationship with the man. Who would have guessed _he_ would be the one she turned to now for comfort? As much as her little act two days before would forever be a source of embarrassment to her, she had to appreciate the fact that he had never brought it up again. She did not dare allow herself to think what might have happened if he had given in to her ludicrous suggestion, although a certain fluttering within her stomach that had made its appearance when she had been looking into his eyes while her lips were mere inches from his lips still most definitely wanted to know.

Hormones aside, this was most definitely _not_ the time to be continuing that train of thought. She cleared the distance between Ron's grave and the main doors of the castle in record time and raced up the steps to Dumbledore's office.

"Fizzing Whizbee!" she shouted at the gargoyle. It stared back at her without movement. "Acid Pops! Toffee Eclairs! Cockroach Cluster! Lemon Drops! God _damn_ you, Albus Dumbledore!" she finally cried in despair. When _that_ finally caused the stairs to emerge, she gasped in horror. _Had he heard her? _But no, she was soon to find that the passageway had opened to allow Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to exit Dumbledore's office.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley. "I really hadn't expected to see you here, but seeing as how —"

"I need to see the Headmaster; it's an emergency," interjected Hermione as an excuse as she ran up the stairs. She had to admit that it had been difficult for her to face Ron's parents ever since he had died. She wasn't sure if they blamed her for his death, nor was she sure herself if she wanted them to or not. There were just too many new emotions that had to be dealt with. Thus, she was almost grateful for this reason _not_ to have to face them at the moment.

"Headmaster!" she shouted once she reached the top of the stairs. "It's regarding Professor Snape; he's been summoned!" She had to give Albus Dumbledore credit; he had barely flinched at the news. Instead, there seemed to be only a further saddening in his eyes.

"I was afraid of this. Please, Miss Granger, sit down and tell me exactly what happened." She did as he asked and told her tale, short though it was. "I see," he responded afterwards. "This has happened much earlier than I had hoped, but even still, all we can do now is wait."

Hermione wanted to spit that last word back in his face, but at the last second remembered where she was and whom she was speaking to. "Isn't there anything _else_ we could be doing in the meantime?" she asked with as much decorum as she could muster.

"Do you have any suggestions, Miss Granger?"

"Don't you have any means of communication with him?" she asked desperately.

"And risk breaking his concentration? Even if you were willing to take that risk, there is the chance that any spell or charmed object we send with him could come under detection." Although there was no censure in his voice, Hermione found cause to lower her eyes in deference.

"I — I'm sorry, Headmaster. I didn't mean to question your tactics. It's just that…waiting seems so…."

"Passive," he finished for her. "Believe me, Hermione, I understand how you feel. It's in moments like this that I also feel most…powerless." With a start, Hermione realized just how vulnerable Dumbledore was being with her. She then remembered how many other times he must have been in this same situation.

"How do you do it?" she asked.

"Pardon?"

"How do you stand it? Feeling powerless? You're the most powerful wizard in the world, and yet…" She let her words trail off, unsure of how to end her sentence. Apparently Dumbledore knew what she meant, as he answered her after a brief pause.

"I remember, Miss Granger. I remember what state Severus was in when Lily first brought him to me." When Hermione looked up in surprise, he nodded back at her.

"How did you…?"

"One does not need Legilimency to know that he must have revealed much to you for you to trust him so." She wasn't sure how to react to that, other than a slight blush that she couldn't control. He continued without drawing attention to her reaction. "I also remember how he reacted after she died." She waited, holding her breath without realizing it, hoping to hear the story from his point of view, and she was soon rewarded.

"In just the three years since he had left Hogwarts, he had changed so much, and yet so much remained the same. As much as I regretted not being able to save Tom Riddle when he was in my care here, I sorely regretted not having been able to prevent Severus from choosing the life that he had after leaving Hogwarts. Sometimes, I do believe I overcompensate with Harry in that regard," he admitted to her. Her eyes widened in response to being Dumbledore's confessor, but she kept her silence and he continued.

"Of course, after I had caught him eavesdropping at the Hog's Head inn the night Professor Trelawney gave her first prophecy, I feared the worst: that the news would somehow make its way to Voldemort, which it eventually did. It wasn't until late that July, however, that Neville and Harry were finally born. Imagine, if only Lily had given birth to Harry one day later, how different Harry and Neville's lives would have been." Hermione had never quite seen it that way but kept her awe silent. "As soon as Severus had found out that Voldemort was planning on killing the Potter family, he had tried to kill himself. Fortunately, Lily realized how he would react and prevented him from doing so, ultimately bringing him to me. She demanded that he pledge an Unbreakable Vow to her, promising that he would never try to kill himself again, and I became the Bonder." His blue eyes gazed away into the distance. "In all the years that have passed between then and now, I've often wondered at her foresight in this." When he did not speak for some time, Hermione tried clearing her throat to regain his attention.

"I'm sorry, my dear. The oft-repeated ruminations of a tired, old man such as myself are no excuse to ignore a guest." He cleared his throat. "As I was saying, once Lily was satisfied and left to go into hiding, I was left with the responsibility of figuring out what to do with him. Think about it, Miss Granger. Instead of informing us or trying to find help when he realized what Voldemort was going to do, he chose to take his own life. _That_ was the kind of man I had to deal with." Dumbledore let that thought sink in with Hermione before continuing. "Now that he had taken a Vow promising to prolong that life, I realized I needed to give him a reason to live. He had no friends and no family left at that point. The only person he had ever cared for had just gone into hiding, perhaps forever. Of course he could not go back to his old life. Having already imparted crucial information about the Death Eaters' plans, I presented him with the idea of becoming a double agent in the war. I would hire him as my new Potions professor as Professor Slughorn was ready to retire. To cover for the lack of any real information that he could pass on to the Death Eaters, he would tell them that because I had caught him eavesdropping at the Hog's Head inn, I did not trust him fully and kept a tight leash on him."

Hermione finally found her voice and asked, "Was it true? Did you really not trust him?" She had heard Severus tell her why Dumbledore had trusted him, but she found that she needed to hear it from the Headmaster himself.

"I have to admit that at the time, I still had certain doubts about where his heart truly lay. I wanted to trust him, believe me, Miss Granger, but there were lives at stake, and I would not have those lives endangered further because of the foolish trust of an old man. After Lily's death, however, I saw just how much he truly loved her, and it was that love that made me realize that Severus was our man." Much to Hermione's chagrin, he went on before she could savor his last statement. "Of course, since Voldemort was, at least, temporarily defeated for the time being, he had nothing to do but wait, as we are waiting now, Miss Granger. Although his wait was considerably longer than what I hope ours will have to be." And there, he finally stopped.

Hermione looked at the Headmaster, who was looking back at her with those penetrating blue eyes. She dropped her eyes and looked desperately around the room, trying her hardest to avoid his. A clock ticked persistently somewhere in the room and she became aware of the snores of the portraits surrounding her. Her own thoughts went to Severus, of his long purgatory between the time of Lily's death and Voldemort's return: ten long years.

"What was it like for him, those ten years?" she found herself asking.

"It was…hard," the professor admitted. "He wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, to be able to prepare the students for what might come. I agree he would have made a fine teacher for that purpose, as I'm sure you've noticed this past year, but I also knew that Tom had cursed the position. And I needed Severus to stay longer than just a year. He knew it too, but it must have been difficult for him to see his students being sent out year after year without the training he thought they needed.

"And though he's a genius at Potions, he never did have the…patience to work with those less brilliant than him." Hermione found herself nearly grinning at his euphemism.

"He never did make any friends, though, nor did he try. In fact, he did just the opposite. I believe it was his way of defending himself from ever having to care for someone again only to lose them, as with the case with Lily. It took much effort on my part, but eventually, I believe he came to look upon me as perhaps more than his employer."

"Of course he thinks of you as more than that!" interrupted Hermione, before she realized that she had dared to speak for Severus. She blushed again, but the look in his eyes encouraged her to go on. "You should have seen how he reacted when I told him that you might still be alive. I…I think it was the first time I ever saw him smile," she confessed. Dumbledore seemed pleased with her revelation.

"And have you seen him smile again since that time?" he asked with a certain twinkle in his eyes.

Hermione was tempted to tell him it was none of his business, but she replied with a hesitant, "Y-yes?" The twinkle only grew in stature.

"I believe, my dear, that perhaps those smiles have something to do with whom they're directed at as well."

"Professor!" she exclaimed in indignation.

"Now, now. I'm not implying anything inappropriate. In fact, I think it's _highly_ appropriate and about time that Severus found a friend, especially someone as compatible with him as yourself. You realize, I wouldn't be sharing so openly about Severus' life with just anyone. Even Harry himself has never heard a fraction of what I've just told you." And Hermione realized it was true.

"I…I'm honored then, sir. Thank you."

"You're welcome. But please, I don't think I have to tell you this, but he is a very…complicated man, and it will take a while for all his defenses to come down. All I ask is that you don't give up on him, Hermione. He needs you as much as we need him." _As much as _I _need him_, she corrected mentally.

In the silence that followed that statement, Hermione finally found the courage to ask something she'd been meaning to ask for a while now.

"Sir? I don't mean to be disrespectful, but I was wondering… How _could_ you ask him to kill you? Didn't you know what it would do to him?" He then looked more tired than she had ever seen him look, and she almost regretted asking him. But this was something she felt needed to be asked, if at least for Severus' sake.

"I won't lie to you and say that it was easy for me to do. If there had been any other way to prevent Draco from having to commit a murder… I had to make a choice between the possible salvation of a young Slytherin boy and the feelings of one already past redemption."

"_Past redemption_!" It didn't matter anymore whom she was speaking to and that she had raised her voice. "How could you say that?"

"Miss Granger, before you misconstrue my words —" But she couldn't, _wouldn't_ stop.

"And up in the tower — why didn't you prevent Harry from seeing what you made Severus do? You could have Stunned him or something. You must have known how he would react. You _knew_ how he felt about Severus!"

"Miss Granger, I —"

What the Headmaster might have said was lost as at that moment, a very faint Patronus in the shape of a moth flew in from the window. It made its way straight to Dumbledore's outstretched hand before vanishing from existence. Hermione knew before he said a single word.

"He's back."

----------------------------

Author's notes:

Sorry it took so long to get this second chapter out. First, I ended up revising chapter 1 because I felt that it was too simple for someone as complicated as Severus. For now, I'm scaling back their feelings for each other to friendship; I honestly don't think he would be that interested in her yet. Then, I had to fix some stuff back in chapter 7 of "What is Left…" so that this chapter made sense.

That last bit where Hermione starts going off on Dumbledore is really me projecting what I would like to do to him. But I felt it was reasonable for someone like Hermione to express the same concerns. Too bad we never get to hear his reasoning. Hopefully in book 7…?

Yes, the moth is what I picked for Severus' Patronus. I remember JKR saying in some interview that it would be too telling if she ever revealed what his was. So I tried to think of an animal that would reveal something about him. I first thought of a moth because its well known for its metamorphosis. I believe Severus had a similar experience when he joined the Order. Also, some moths are known for their camouflaging — appropriate for a spy, I thought. Then I looked at some pictures of moths on-line and found one of the Underwing Moth. This moth has dull brown markings on its upper wings (too bad they aren't black!) for camouflage, but its secondary defense mechanism is to reveal its bright orange and red underwings. Also appropriate for our tragic hero that has much brewing beneath his sullen exterior. Finally, I thought the whole "moths always fly to the light" thing was a little sappy, but fitting.

The next chapter we'll be back in Severus' POV and it'll run concurrent to this chapter. Thanks for the many reviews so far, and as always, thanks to saturngurl123 for her wonderful beta-ing. Toodles!

FerPotter – Please see my August 15th, 2005 entry on my LJ for reasons why I decided to start a sequel instead of just continuing "What is Left…".


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Immediately after apparating to Voldemort's side, Severus knelt down on one knee, keeping his eyes on the floor directly in front of him. He knew the Dark Lord liked keeping his followers off balance, and one of the ways he achieved this was by not letting them see where they had apparated to when he called upon them.

"My Lord, I have answered your call. What is your bidding?" His voice was not as strong as he would have liked it to be as he was still suffering from the pain of the Dark Mark.

"I would have you look at me, Severus" was the reply. He looked up and at the same time tried to absorb as much as he could through his peripheral vision. Though it had still been daytime when he had left, no sunlight filtered into this room. The only light came from two braziers on either side of Voldemort. No windows, no furniture, _nothing_ gave away the possible location of the room. For all he knew, there might not even be a door behind him. It _did_ seem, however, that they were alone, and it was this observation that made Severus most wary. He had never been alone in the Dark Lord's presence and wondered if it meant that he had finally entered the most inner circle of his servants or something more nefarious.

In the split second that it had taken him to take in his surroundings, Voldemort had begun to practice Legilimency on him. Severus parried his mental probe with practiced ease and revealed just enough so that he wouldn't be suspicious.

"I received word yesterday that Narcissa and the boy have vanished. You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, my loyal servant?" He had anticipated this query and gave the answer he had prepared just for this occasion.

"I was afraid this would happen, my Lord. I know that Narcissa feared you would punish her son severely for not being able to follow through with your orders. It seems as if she has decided that running away is worth the risk."

"Hmmm, yes, that woman _was_ always weak in my eyes." It seemed as if Voldemort was buying the excuse. "I shall send Bellatrix after her sister and nephew. _She_ would know best where they might try to hide from me." Severus and Narcissa had already discussed this very likelihood and made their plans around it.

"You are most cunning, my Lord," he groveled.

"Yes, well, one must always know how to manage their resources most effectively. It wouldn't do to have someone constantly sabotaging our efforts, now would it?"

"No, Master." Anxiety entered Severus' head after he heard the double-edged words. _If Voldemort was already having doubts again about him after he had just killed Albus…_

"Speaking of resources, I'm afraid I must tell you that we have lost another two from our number."

"And which two would that be, sir?"

"Have you not noticed the loss of Wormtail's presence in your very own house?" He was prepared for this as well.

"Of course, Master. I had assumed you had called him to you…"

"Now, Severus, I believe you know as well as I do that I would not call for him." Before Snape could think of a response, Voldemort continued. "Although, you _could_ say he _did_ come to me." _Oh shite! How much did he know?_

Hermione had conceived of the plan to Imperio Wormtail into changing into his rat form and feeding himself to Nagini. Once inside the monster, and just before he died from asphyxiation, he was to change back into his human form, and thereby destroy what they hoped was one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. This was all to have happened without Voldemort's knowledge, but as it seemed as if he knew _something_, Snape tried to bluff his way through with ignorance.

"Sir?" _The less said, the better_.

"For whatever reason, he approached me in his rat form. Unfortunately, Nagini must have been particularly hungry because she swallowed him before he could change back into his human shape. Although, it almost seemed as if Wormtail was running _into_ Nagini's mouth. Strange, wouldn't you think?"

Severus shrugged. "You can hardly expect _me_ to understand what goes on in that rodent's mind," he said in his most indifferent of tones.

"True, although I had hoped that under your hospitality he might have come under your influence as well." This conversation was quickly moving onto very dangerous grounds.

"Then I am sorry I was not able to impart more of my wisdom onto him," was Severus' smooth response. "Might I inquire, Master, what became of Wormtail?"

"Alas, while I valued my pet over that sorry excuse of a Gryffindor and was prepared for the minor loss, _he_ apparently decided he would rather die as a man than as a mouse. Of course, this meant the loss of dear Nagini." Severus was determined not to show the flash of triumph that he felt at that moment.

"I am sorry for your loss, Master."

"I wonder, Severus, are you truly?" Again, he felt Voldemort's mind invade his. It reached farther than usual this time, but he was sure his charade was still intact. Weary from the assault, he let his head drop.

"I admit, my lord, that I was never truly…comfortable with your familiar."

"Yes," Riddle hissed. "Ironic, isn't it, for the head of Slytherin to feel uncomfortable in the presence of a serpent." A slight change in his tone was all that prepared Snape for his next words. "I also failed to mention to you that just before Wormtail died, I was able to extract all of his memories." Severus' head jerked up in surprise and saw in the Dark Lord's expression that he was trapped.

"My lord, I can explain —"he began while he reached for his wand at the same time. The attempt at stealth cost him time however, and Voldemort was able to strike first.

"_Incarcerous!_" Thick ropes appeared and bound his hands and legs so that he could not grasp his wand.

_Sectumsempra!_ Snape cried in his mind, but all that happened was a golden shield that had previously been invisible shimmered around the Dark Lord before fading into transparency again.

"You'll find that your hexes will not work on me, my wayward servant. You thought I would be unprepared?" He was advancing on him now, but Severus could only struggle against his bonds. "I clothed you, Severus. I fed you when you were hungry. I gave you water when you were thirsty, and this is how you repay me?"

"_Crucio!_" Pain tore through his muscles as he thrashed. He would not scream though. He would bite off his own tongue before letting Voldemort have that pleasure. His former master was now standing directly in front of him. He could feel the breath from those reptilian nostrils blowing on his face.

"Don't worry," whispered Voldemort, as he traced a drop of sweat that fell from his forehead with his long fingers. "We'll find your voice before I'm done with you." Pain from another Cruciatus Curse coursed through his body.

For the third time in five days, Snape prepared for his death. This time, however, he found that he would regret it. Hermione's face rose unbidden to the surface of his mind.

"What is this, Severus? Harboring feelings for a former student of yours?"

_No!_ Severus clamped down his mind, but it was too late. Voldemort had found his weakness and was fully exploiting it. Those long pale fingers gripped his chin and made him look him in the eyes. Against his will, memories were torn from his psyche, all of them featuring Hermione. His feelings for her had been too recently established; he had not had the chance to bury them as he did with all the other thoughts he needed to keep from the Dark Lord. Lastly, the one he had hidden most deeply emerged, and he saw Hermione approaching him, intent on kissing him.

"You are a true ascetic, Severus, to have denied yourself even that pleasure when it was being so sweetly offered to you."

"She means nothing to me," he spat out.

"Do not try to lie to me, Severus. _Crucio!_" He did not pause as Severus flailed in agony against the ropes. "I already know what you did for her. Although it was a bit much, don't you think? Killing both Wormtail and Nagini? Surely they didn't deserve death just for leering at the girl and unnerving you. Did you do it just to show off in front of her? Or did you do it because she asked you to?" Voldemort sifted through his memories and found the answer. "I see. Perhaps I should see about recruiting _her_ inventive little brain. She must have truly enraptured you, to have you so fully wrapped around her little finger." Through the haze of pain, Severus realized that Voldemort still knew nothing of Dumbledore's return.

"What happened, Severus? You were once so loyal to me. Your heart," — he ripped open Severus' robes to reveal his straining torso — "was mine." Riddle placed one pale hand against the sweat-covered chest. "Now I see you have whored yourself away, all for the smile of a simple girl. I would have given you so much more. You, whom I loved as my own son. I saw the misery in your soul; I felt the same pain you felt as a half-blood whose Muggle father didn't want him. I saw the potential within you and raised you from a life destined for futility. _I made you who you are today!_ And you would throw that all away for this slip of a girl? You leave me no choice but to do this, Severus. _No_ man can serve two masters. _Crucio!_" Severus barely jerked; his body was too drained to react to the pain anymore, and yet, he continued to suffer in silence.

The immediate effects of the curse eventually subsided. "Don't worry, I am no Bellatrix," said Voldemort in mock comfort. "I would not have you lose your mind. In fact, just the opposite — I would prefer for you to keep your wits fully about you. I want you to know _exactly_ how you are going to die _as_ you do so." He caressed Severus' cheek with almost the same gentleness of a lover. "You'd be pleased with me, Severus. I devised this new curse all by myself, and you will have the distinct honor of being the first person to ever have it be cast upon."

"_Consenescus!_" As Voldemort cast the spell towards his heart, Severus used the last of his strength to look directly into Voldemort's eyes. Surprisingly, he felt no difference after the spell had been cast.

"It's a slow-acting curse in the beginning, picking up speed as it invades each cell of your body, much like how a potion of yours might react. You'll soon begin aging at an accelerated rate; within an hour, your body will be half a century older. By the end of the next hour, you'll have died from old age. A fitting death for a pedophile, don't you think?

"And just to show you that I am a man of mercy, I won't let you die alone. Because you killed Dumbledore for me, I'll send you back to the girl so _she_ can watch you wither away, knowing there's nothing she can do to save you." He grinned cruelly, those red eyes gleaming in satisfaction. "I'll even send you back with a little gift."

While Snape remained hanging there, Voldemort conjured a metal insignia in the shape of the Dark Mark and levitated it over one of the braziers until it began to glow red-hot.

"_Portus_!" he cast at the sigil, and it glowed with another kind of light before returning to its original color.

"Although I abhor what she made me do to you, I must respect her ability to turn you so fully. Anyone who can use you as she has surely deserves a place within my ranks. You can tell her that if she ever wants an audience with me, she need only to use this, and I will oblige. Of course, if it is revenge she is seeking, she will also perish." His voice changed again then, from confident to almost wistful.

"You were always one of my favorites, Severus. Pity you couldn't stay loyal to me, although now that you've killed Dumbledore and revealed yourself to the Order, you've also lost most of your usefulness. I supposed this is goodbye then."

With a jerk of the wand, the metal brand came flying towards him, burning itself onto his chest. Finally, he cried from pain, but in that same instance, he was transported back to the gates of Hogwarts. He lay there for sometime, unable to move, even though the hot metal was still searing his skin. He smelled his own flesh burning but could do nothing about it. Each breath he breathed was agonizing. Finally, with excruciating pain, he was able to reach for his wand. With it barely in his grasp, he summoned the weakest Patronus he had ever summoned and sent it to find Albus. He didn't even have enough strength left to encode a proper message and hoped that its presence alone would tell the Headmaster what he needed to know. As he lay waiting, every second drawing him closer to death, he could only hope that Hermione would not be the one to find him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Where is he?" she cried as she shot up from her chair and started running towards the door.

"He didn't say —" was the cautious response, but Hermione was already sprinting down the stairs and out of earshot before he could finish the sentence. Due to her extensive knowledge of _Hogwarts, A History_, she knew that it was impossible to Apparate or even Portkey into Hogwarts without the Headmaster's authority. Thus, she ran for the main gates. He might be anywhere outside of them, but this didn't cause her any concern. In her heart, there was absolutely no doubt that she would find him wherever he might be.

Adrenaline rushed through her veins, giving her extra speed. As she approached the entrance, she shouted, "_Alohomora!_" while pointing her wand at the gates. They immediately swung open and allowed her to pass without slowing down. Next, she cast, "_Lumos_!" and started searching, her eyes wild with panic. _There!_ She spotted his body lying near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Keeping her wand out, she ran to him.

"Severus!" she shouted. "Severus, it's me!" What she saw as she approached him repulsed her. His shirt had been torn open and it looked like a metal version of the Death Mark had been cleaved to his chest. But perhaps even more frightening than that was the fact that he looked as if he had aged a decade since she had last seen him. Even as she looked at him, his skin was slackening, and his hair was growing longer and greyer. She knelt down to examine him better.

"Oh God, what did he do to you?" Upon closer inspection, she realized that the metal sigil was not so much bonded to his body but rather burned into his flesh. Already, angry red blisters were beginning to form around the edges. Choking back a sob, she reached to remove it, but he jerked from her touch.

"No!" he cried.

"Severus, I have to get it off of you!" She reached for it again, but he rolled away, gasping in pain.

"Please, I need to heal you." She touched his shoulder and tried to turn him back towards her.

"You — can't touch it!" He had huddled himself into a fetal position to prevent her from having access to the piece of metal. She realized there was no arguing with him, not if she wanted to get help for him.

"Fine, but I need to get you back into the castle so Madame Pomfrey can take a look at it."

"No…time," he said. "Please, get Dumbledore." Hermione gathered her breath to argue, but the way he said his next words made her swallow her own. "Please…Hermione..." He had never pleaded with her before. And his voice, it was definitely getting weaker. This time, she could not hold back her sobbing.

"I'll be right back, Severus Snape. Don't you _dare_ die on me now, do you hear?" She was off before he could reply. Fortunately, she did not have to run far as within a few steps she saw the Headmaster and Harry running out of the gates.

"Professor! Harry! Over here!" She shot a few red sparks off from her wand to signal her location and ran back to Severus. Kneeling back down by his side, she brushed the hair away from his face. She was positive now; he was aging before her very eyes. Hot tears splashed onto his face, but she couldn't help it.

"They're coming. You'll be all right." She didn't know whether she was saying that more for his benefit or her own.

"Hermione! What's happened?" It was Harry's voice. She turned around to address him.

"I don't know yet! I just found him here. There's this awful metal thing on his chest," she motioned towards it but was careful not to touch it, "and it looks like he's growing older as we speak. Professor, please. What does this mean?" she pleaded with the Headmaster. There was no twinkle in his eye now as he looked down over his spy.

"Albus..." came the raspy voice. "Get her…get them away." Dumbledore looked from him to her.

"No!" cried Hermione as Harry held her back. "No," she repeated. "I'm staying here. You can't make me leave," she said resolutely.

"Severus, the girl is right. I believe she has earned her place here tonight. As for Harry, I think it is time he knew what you have been facing these last several years." Harry's grip on Hermione slackened as she ceased to struggle, but he remained silent. "What happened tonight, Severus?"

"Can't you get that thing off him first? He needs medical attention!" interrupted a mortified Hermione. At Severus' barely imperceptible nod, the Headmaster gave a flick of his wand. The sigil tore off his chest with an indescribably grotesque sound which could be heard despite Severus' equally agonizing scream of pain. Nausea filled Hermione's gullet, and she buried her head in Harry's shoulder rather than continue looking at the bloody, blistered Death Mark-shaped wound left on his torso. With another wave of his wand, Dumbledore healed him as best he could. Thick, hard scar tissue now covered the area where the metal had burned him. As Dumbledore knelt down to cover his chest, Severus whispered something to him, but Hermione could not tell what he said.

After the Headmaster stood back up, she looked at Severus' face. The wrinkles around his eyes and mouth were deeper than before.

"What's happening to him?"

"Hermione, I think it is time we let Severus speak now." Hearing the slight censure in his voice, she wiped the tears from her cheeks and waited.

"I — _cough _— went to him. Don't know where. _Cough_. He — _cough _— knows about Draco and Narcissa. Wormtail, too." At this, his eyes finally met hers.

"What happened? Are they both dead?" She felt Harry's hands tighten on her upper arms again but ignored the pain. After coughing fit, Severus answered.

"Yes." While Harry hugged her from behind in relief, she stayed focused on Snape.

"Is _that _why he punished you? Did he find out what we did?" He suddenly averted his eyes from hers and looked back at Dumbledore. In that brief moment before he did, though, she could have sworn she saw a flash of fear in his eyes. "What happened? Why won't you tell me!" She wrenched herself free from Harry and fell on the ground beside Severus, clutching his arm.

"Miss Granger, please —"

"Can't you see, Professor? He's getting older by the second! If we don't do anything…."

"It was a new spell he devised." His voice was so weak now she could barely hear him. "Please, Hermione. I don't want you to see me like this." She knew what he meant, and she knew he did not say it out of vanity.

"No! You're not going to die! Headmaster, please!" she pleaded again. Now even Dumbledore averted his eyes from hers. "No! There must be something we can do!"

"No, Hermione. Even Albus cannot — _cough _— control time. I'm — _cough _— sorry, Hermione." She ignored his apology because her mind was already spinning in a different direction.

Apparently, Harry's was as well because they both said the same thing simultaneously: "Time!" She whipped around.

"Oh Harry, do you think…?" Hope filled her voice. His nod came slower.

"Yes, I think it's worth a try…."

"Of course it's worth it! But how will we get in? Severus can't be seen _there_! And we don't have the time to be messing with all those doors!" At this, Harry looked at the Headmaster.

"Sir?" Although neither of them had named their destination, he seemed to have caught on to their plan.

"Yes… Yes, I believe I can help you with that." He reached into a pocket and retrieved a lemon drop, which he tossed onto the ground. "_Portus_!" It glowed and shook for a few seconds before settling back down. "That should take you straight to the room you need, but remember, you must try to keep your spell casting to a minimum. Any magic performed may set off alarms."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you, sir!" Severus, you're going to be fine." She looked down at him and stroked his arm, but he did not respond. His eyes had closed and the skin on his face was starting to sink. The brief flush of hope turned into panic, and she whirled into action. Grabbing his hand and Harry's, she jerked them both forward and touched the lemon drop with all four hands at once.

She barely felt the effects of the Portkey and had her wand out as soon as they landed. The room was just as she remembered it, except that the cabinet they had broken the last time they were in here had been fixed and was no longer caught in a time loop. Sparkling light from the large bell jar at the other end still danced throughout the room. As far as she could tell, there was no one else in there with them.

"Harry, you'll have to help me carry him." They both lifted him up, but he was much lighter than she would ever have expected him to be. She could no longer bear to look at him, as his head was starting to resemble a skull more and more. "Hurry!" They ran between the desks to the other end of the room with their strange burden. Upon reaching the desk on which the bell jar sat, she chanced a spell and levitated Severus' body so that it was floating in midair just outside the bell jar. She then repositioned him so that he was wrapped tightly into a ball, knowing that any part of him that did not enter the bell jar would remain unchanged. Satisfied with the results, she carefully levitated him into the boundaries of the bell jar, pushing the hummingbird out of the way.

Immediately, the effects of Voldemort's curse started to reverse itself. The flesh beneath his skin began to fill out and his wrinkles began to disappear. As he reached the age that he had been at the beginning of the day, Harry made as if to move him out, but Hermione stayed his hand.

"No, wait." He did as she asked. Severus continued to grow younger, past their own age, into a child, and finally into a baby, but still she did not move him. Just when it seemed as if he could not become any smaller or younger, time reversed itself in the bell jar, and he started aging again. Contrary to the time she had held out a second longer than necessary when Madame Pomfrey had been shrinking her teeth during the fourth year, she now floated Severus out of the bell jar a few moments before he would have returned to his true age.

The man that hovered before her could barely pass for a twenty-seven year old, much less his true age of thirty-seven. All wrinkles had been erased from his face. His skin, though still pale, had lost the sallowness it once carried. And his hair, it was no longer greasy but fell in a fine curtain down to his shoulders.

Undoubtedly Harry also noticed all this but did not mention it because at that moment they heard a noise coming from one of the offices.

"Come on, Hermione. We better get back." He tugged on her sleeve.

"Just one more moment," she said and went to retrieve something from one of the shelves. She slipped it into her pocket before he could see what it was. "All right. We can go now." She levitated Snape, who was still unconscious, with her back to the lemon drop. Grasping his hand in hers, she looked up at Harry and counted, "One, two, three —" They both reached for the piece of candy at the same time and Portkeyed back to where they came from.

Dumbledore was still waiting for them by the Forbidden Forest. Although his face showed a flicker of surprise when he saw Severus, he also did not say anything to Hermione and just gave her a penetrating glance. Not knowing how to else to respond, she nodded her head slowly before saying, "We should get him to a bed."

"Of course, Miss Granger." The Headmaster took over levitating Severus and together, the four of them entered the gates of Hogwarts. He led them through the front doors and down into the dungeons to Severus' private quarters. Before Hermione could worry about how to open the door, Dumbledore gave the password, "Open Sesame", and it swung open for them. She didn't know if that was Severus' personal password or the Headmaster's vocal skeleton key to the castle, but it surprised her either way. _More fairy tales?_

Dumbledore had Snape's floating body lead the way in and they followed, eventually coming to a door that Hermione had never noticed before. It led into his bedroom, which turned out to be much barer than the average students' dormitories. A small, made bed, a single wooden chair, and a mirrored wardrobe were all it contained.

"Hermione, if you would?" said Dumbledore, gesturing towards the sheets. She dutifully used her wand to lift the covers up and back so that he could deposit Severus underneath. Once he was settled, she waved them back so that they draped over him. Before anyone could stop her, she approached the bed and tucked in the sheets around him. She stayed there after her task was done, hovering over him in concern.

"He'll be fine, Miss Granger, trust me. He just needs to rest."

"Headmaster, if you don't mind. I'd like to stay with him." Harry cocked his head but kept his tongue. After what seemed a long moment, Dumbledore finally nodded.

"All right, Miss Granger. But you must promise me that you'll get some sleep yourself." She nodded in reply.

"I'll return to my room. I just…I need to…" She gestured helplessly at Severus, unable to articulate exactly what she wanted.

"I understand, Miss Granger. Come, Harry. Let's leave them be." He placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and the two of them started walking out. "Goodnight, Miss Granger."

"Goodnight, Headmaster. Goodnight, Harry."

"Goodnight, Hermione."

When she was finally alone in the room, she drew the chair over to the bedside and sat down. There was one thing she needed to do, something she had theorized might happen, but hadn't wanted to check in front of Dumbledore or Harry in case she was wrong. Carefully, she took his left hand and slowly undid the buttons at his wrists. When the last button fell free, she pushed the material up and bared his forearm. Joy filled her being as she realized she had been correct. The tattoo of the Dark Mark was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

After waking up from a torturous dream that ended with Voldemort cutting off his left hand, Severus slowly began to realize several things at once. Firstly, he was still alive. Secondly, he shouldn't be. Alive, that is. Lastly, and perhaps the reason for his latest nightmare, he had lost all feeling in his left hand.

He dared to crack his eyes open. Although it was dark, he immediately knew he was in his own bedroom back at Hogwarts. And thus, he knew that whatever else had happened, he was safe. _Safe_. Such an odd and rare position for him to be in and yet now he absorbed it fully into his being. Muscles that had not relaxed in years now loosened with ease. Even without moving, he felt younger than he had any right to feel.

Then a sudden slight snore from his left startled him, triggering his reactions. He shot up, jerking his arm out from under a curl-adorned head. The instant he recognized who it was though, he relaxed again. Unfortunately, the same could not be said about her.

"Wha — _ow_!" Her hand instantly went to her neck.

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger. I did not mean to startle you." When she did not respond, he attempted an, "Are you all right?" She continued to rub her neck, a look of pain on her face.

"It's all right. It's just…I have the bloodiest awful crick in my neck." He watched her continue to try to massage it away until finally he offered, "Perhaps I can help?"

She looked at him so quickly that he feared she would hurt herself again, but the look on her face was now more of surprise than pain. Realizing how foolish he had sounded, he said, to save face, "I meant a Warming Charm…on your hands? It would help loosen the knot…"

She remained silent, but her gaze had dropped from his face. Looking down, he realized that when he had sat up, the sheets had dropped from his torso, and as his shirt was still torn, his chest was fully exposed. Curiously, it looked different than he remembered it. Not only were the recent burn marks he had received gone but all the other scars he had accumulated from years as a Death Eater had vanished as well. _What the hell had happened to him?_

He looked up at Hermione, who brought her eyes back up to his as well. "I — what happened?" he asked incredulously. She looked anxious, as if he might not approve of what she had done.

"Harry and I, we brought you to the Department of Mysteries. There's a room there —"

He cut her off. "If you're talking about love…" At her confused look, he realized his blunder. "I'm sorry. Please continue." _Was it possible that she was blushing?_ He certainly felt like he was.

"As I was saying, there's a room there which we discovered the last time we were there. I think…I think it's where they study Time." Her eyes flicked to his quickly to make sure he wasn't going to interrupt her. "There's this bell jar on a desk in the front of the room. Last year, when we were fighting in there, I Stunned one of the Death Eaters, and he fell back into it. It…it didn't break. He just fell through it. And then the part of him that lay within it started shrinking. His head turned into a baby's and then back to an adult's and then back again." He was starting to understand where she was going with this.

"And you brought me there. Put me in the bell jar." He hadn't meant to sound so skeptical, but apparently that's how Hermione took it.

"It's a large bell jar, sir." The seriousness with which she said those words made Severus want to laugh, but he controlled himself, not wanting to chance offending her even more.

"I'm sure it was." It was her turn to look askance at him. Then, without warning, her face broke out into a grin. He smiled back at her. Suddenly, he realized why he felt so well rested and also why his scars were gone.

"When I was in there, you didn't just pull me out when I returned to my real age, did you?" Her widened eyes told him he had guessed correctly. "You waited until I turned into a baby and…had me…_reborn_." He watched her glance down at his arm and followed her gaze. He could hardly believe what he saw. His left forearm was completely bare of any markings. _The Dark Mark was gone_. He touched it tentatively, afraid he was hallucinating.

"It's gone, sir. Really," she added when he continued to stroke the place where it had been. She grabbed both his hands and looked him straight in the eyes. "Really, Severus." Dark eyes locked onto brown ones like magnets. There was something there in hers that, though they were only inches from his at the moment, he could have seen from a mile away. Hope…trust…acceptance… A delirious mixture of the three… He didn't know _what_ it was, only that he wanted to drown in it forever. He leaned forward, and before he could think about what he was doing, closed his eyes and brought his lips to hers. For her part, she didn't immediately resist, and after the briefest moment of shock, began kissing him back in earnest. Her hands let go of his and started climbing up his arms. He brought his hands up to cup one against her cheek and the other at the base of her skull. She felt so right in his hands, her lips so good against his; surely _this_ was the exactly purpose the Creator had shaped them for. It wasn't until they tried shifting the angle of their heads to get closer that she winced and gasped. Instantly, he dropped his hands and backed away, finally realizing what he — what _they_ — had done.

"My God, Hermione. I never meant — I'm so sorry…"

"No, it's just —" her hand had found its way back to her neck again — "that kink. It hasn't gone away." Understanding tinged with relief swept through Severus, yet he did not move to touch her again.

"Still, I _must_ apologize —"

"No, _don't_." She brought her other hand up to his mouth to stop him from saying another word. "It was…it was what it was." She had no idea how grateful he was that she had not finished that sentence with "nothing", "nice", or even "perfect". He was not ready to interpret what had just happened between them, and it suited him just fine to know that she hadn't yet either. So he remained quiet until she removed her hand from his mouth, frowning at the pain issuing from her neck.

After several seconds of feeling awkward for not being able to do anything else, and realizing that the Warming Charm he had suggested earlier would seem almost silly now, he tentatively reached out and put his much larger hand over hers. He felt her go rigid at the unexpected touch but then relax. Her hand was much cooler than his, and he felt his heat drain into her skin.

"Here, it's the least I can do." _How many times had she saved his life now?_

Sheepishly, she dropped her hand so that his came in direct contact with the skin where her neck met her shoulder. It too was cold to the touch. He slowly and lightly began to massage her neck, his fingers quickly finding the knot and concentrating there. A slight gasp and then a hiss was all that issued from her mouth. Still, those sounds resonated within him; he reveled in the knowledge that they came from what he was doing to her. Curious as to whether or not he could cause her to repeat them, he found himself bringing his other hand to the other side of her neck. Both his hands now echoed each other, alternating between kneading and digging wide circles with his thumbs. He could feel her melt under him, but the only sounds she let escape were from her very carefully controlled breaths.

Eventually, but sooner than he would have wished, she stilled his hands with hers, indicating that he had done enough. He dropped his hands reluctantly.

"Thank you, Severus. That was wonderful." Her voice seemed huskier than usual. "I…I should get going. I promised the Headmaster I would get some sleep as well."

_Stay_, said Severus in his head and with his eyes, but she failed to notice them as she stood up. His pride would not let him say the word out loud though, and he let her walk away from him.

At the doorway, she turned and said, "Good night, Severus. I'm glad…I'm glad you're all right." Still not trusting himself to speak out loud, he nodded at her. She left and closed the door behind her. It was several hours more before he could fall back asleep again, the memory of her skin beneath his hands and her lips against his still tingling as he did.

Likewise, Hermione was finding it just as difficult to sleep up in her room. She had no recollection of the journey back up to the Gryffindor tower. All she could remember was the look in his eyes just before he had closed them and kissed her. Rather than feeling guilty and ashamed as she thought she really ought to so soon after Ron's death, all she had felt when they were kissing was the rightness of it all. Now, however, she had to deal with the myriad of thoughts that were flying through her brain.

_I can't believe we kissed! Damn, why didn't he kiss me before? _

_No, this is Severus! Professor Snape!_

_So what?_

_So, knowing him, he'll pretend it never happened and dismiss you as a just silly little girl tomorrow morning._

_No! It wasn't like that. I saw it. I felt it!_

_Really? So what do you think is going to happen tomorrow? He'll come bearing roses and a ring?_

_I don't know. I don't know…_

_What do you _want_ to happen?_

Hermione didn't know that either, but she knew what she would have wanted to have happen if she had stayed in his rooms, under his fingers, for one second longer. Oh God, _no one_ had ever made her feel that way before. Long after he had worked the kink out, she had just stayed there, concentrating on the delicious feelings his marvelous fingers were stirring in her. The heat from his fingers had reached far into her and pooled into an ever-growing puddle in the depths of her belly. It pulled and sang within her, and she knew that if his hypnotizing hands had strayed from where they were, she would not have stopped them, if only to know what else would happen to her body. Even in the midst of the most instinctive and primal experience she had ever had, her curious mind was still working and trying to catalog her responses.

But his hands stayed where they were, and her conscience finally took over. She couldn't ask him for anything more than he was willing to give, especially since she was so unsure herself of what she wanted from him. So, ever the practical one, she decided it was better to remove herself from temptation than to risk doing something they would both regret.

And although her skin still burned where his hands had touched her, she didn't regret it now. Wouldn't. He was safe now, and that was all that mattered. They would have tomorrow and all the days after that to figure out what else mattered.

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Author's notes:

Wow, thanks for all the reviews! Just in case anyone is still confused about the bell jar, it was referenced in OotP, when they were fighting in the Department of Mysteries. And yeah, there's no way I'd kill off Snape! Ron, sure, but Snape! No way! Although I'm not so sure JKR feels the same way. (

Alaksandra – I must admit, after you made that suggestion, I got a little nervous because it was exactly what I meant to do with him. )


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Dumbledore went down to the dungeons very early the next morning. No one answered his knocking, so once again he used, "Open Sesame" to enter. He found Severus already awake and sitting on the edge of his bed facing the window. The light from the barely risen sun cast brilliant flames of color against his younger looking face. Severus' head was tilted upwards, his eyes closed in seeming meditation. He rolled a vial back and forth in his hands like a rosary.

"Good morning, Albus," he said without opening his eyes.

"Good morning, Severus. I'm glad to see you've recovered."

"Yes."

"I see Miss Granger has also returned to her rooms—"

"She left shortly after I awakened—"

"Which was several hours ago, yes, I know. The reason I'm here, Severus—"

"You're here now because she's still asleep, and you don't have the courage to ask what you're about to in her presence."

A long silence followed.

"Severus, you know I do not ask this of you lightly, or easily."

"Yes, I know," was the curt reply.

Dumbledore sighed. "If there were any other way…"

"I know what the stakes are, Albus. I understand." Severus turned to face the Headmaster as he said this, and Dumbledore saw now what he had not noticed before: Severus had been crying.

"I also know what kind of rare opportunity has presented itself," continued Severus. "Now that the Dark Mark is gone, Voldemort thinks I'm dead. What better cover to have as a spy? And with _this_, my own invention," he said as he held up the vial of Invisibility Potion, "no one will ever even see me. I'm already familiar with all the enemy's ways, and he's even conveniently provided us with a Portkey that will take us directly to him. You'll have your perfect, undetectable spy."

"Except—"

"Except for my ties with Hermione," interrupted Severus, still one step ahead of the Headmaster. "She'll come after me, of course, as soon as she finds out. Or maybe you'll send her away with Potter, but eventually, she'd come. And then I'd have to divert my attentions to making sure she's kept safe as well. Voldemort's already gotten to me through her once; who knows what will happen next time?"

Dumbledore said nothing, indicating agreement in his silence.

"I've decided, Albus. This world is not one I want her to have to live in a second longer than necessary. If what I do can help you end it sooner rather than later, I'll do it. She won't understand, of course; they never do. Which is why you'll tell her that I've died."

Once again, Dumbledore was not surprised that he had come to the same conclusion, only at his acceptance of it. "You've thought this through very thoroughly."

"Yes."

"Severus, I'm not sure I've ever asked your forgiveness for all that I've asked you to do in these last few years."

"Why would you need to?"

Dumbledore decided to approach the topic from a different angle.

"Hermione, she asked me how I could've sent you back."

"She had no right."

"Of course she did. She had the right of being your friend. I'm afraid the situations I've put you in have not let you make many. You should have had more people to defend you. I must admit, I've been rather…single-focused. If I could do it all over again—"

"_I_ would not have changed anything. You used me, Albus, I know that. But I let you. And if you hadn't, things might be more grim today than they would have been had you not. Albus, there is no need for you to ask forgiveness."

"Then, I offer you my deepest-felt gratitude. No one else could have done what you have. No one."

Severus accepted this with a slight downward turn of his head.

"I would rather not wait any longer than necessary, sir." He uncorked the vial and brought it to his lips. He hesitated, though, and spoke once more to Dumbledore before drinking. "As much as I do not look forward to going back to being a spy, I fear your task of telling Miss Granger that she has failed even more." And with that, he swallowed the potion and disappeared.

Dumbledore waited until he knew Severus had gone, and even then, stayed where he was, watching the morning sun, until he knew he could not tarry any longer.

"No! _No!_" she screamed in the Headmaster's office. "You're lying! I saw him! He was fine!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Granger, but it's true. After you had returned to your rooms, there were…complications. Nothing you could have foreseen. Voldemort had booby trapped his spell so that any interference would still result in death."

"No! I don't believe you. Show me the body."

"I can't…"

"Why not? What are you hiding from me?"

"Nothing, Hermione. His body, it…completely disintegrated. There's nothing left of him."

It was this detail that made Hermione first doubt her assertions that Severus was still alive, for it seemed exactly the type of thing Voldemort would do. And once the first crack in her confidence appeared, the rest came down quickly.

"But…but I saved him. _We_ saved him. All for nothing." She staggered backwards until her legs hit the seat of the chair behind her, and she collapsed into it. "He was finally free… I could see it in his eyes…" The wave of anguish that swept over her was so intense that she had to clamp down mentally and emotionally lest it overwhelm her while she needed most to remain focused on the tasks ahead. She had no control over her tears, though, which continued to fall from her eyes.

"May…may I be excused now? I still have preparations to make before I leave with Harry."

"Yes, dear, you may."

As she exited the Headmaster's office, she would have sworn she could feel Severus' presence. Maybe it was the whiff of a familiar smell or something else, but in the days and months that came, the same feeling would often come to her. She would never see him or hear him, but there would just be this sense that he was there, watching over her. Eventually, she stopped mentioning it to Harry because every time she did, the feeling would vanish. Over time, she learned to live with it and relish it, regardless of whether or not it was insanity that caused it.

Together, she and Harry found all of the remaining Horcruxes using the information that Dumbledore fed them. She never questioned where it came from, afraid to know the answer. With Ron and Severus gone, the whole of her was attuned to the defeat of Voldemort. If it had not been for Harry, she probably would have turned into what Severus had feared most for her, another version of himself. Instead, they kept each other sane by reminiscing about the past and reminding each other what they were fighting for. Ron was, of course, a frequent topic, and it grew easier to talk about him each day. Hermione wasn't sure whether or not it was a good thing, though, that Harry would never bring up the subject of Snape. While she sometimes wished she could talk to someone about him, she wasn't sure Harry was the right person, and she definitely didn't want to alienate him now, when he was the only one of her friends left.

Finally, the Last Battle approached. By then, Voldemort had realized what they were doing to his Horcruxes. According to intelligence, he was intent on murdering a half dozen Muggles in an elaborate ritual and using the deaths to create more Horcruxes. That night, the entire Order Apparated to the designated site. Hermione and the younger Weasleys were to release the captured Muggles and get them to safety. The rest were to protect Harry as he finally fulfilled the terms of his Prophecy.

The fighting was fierce, and Hermione had a hard time keeping track of what was happening. As soon as they freed the Muggles, she made Ginny, Fred, and George Portkey away with them while she returned to the thick of the combat. It seemed most of the weaker wizards and witches had already been overcome and those who were left were evenly matched. This left Harry able to make his way towards Voldemort, who was waiting for him.

She saw him cast curse after curse at Voldemort, but they all deflected off of some kind of invisible shield that surrounded him. It sparked every time one of Harry's curses hit it, and in the brief flashes of light, she could sometimes make out what looked like the silhouette of another figure behind Voldemort. Hermione was still too far away when Voldemort finally raised his wand at Harry. She screamed his name, but it died away when she realized that the Dark Lord had been somehow hit with a Full Body Bind. She hadn't seen where it came from, nor did she know how it had penetrated his force field. All she knew was that he was now as defenseless as a sacrificial lamb. She watched as Harry walked up to the Dark Lord, entered the ring of protection, and cast the spell that would end the wizarding world as she knew it.

With Voldemort dead, most of his followers that were still fighting chose to try and escape. The majority of them were captured, but a few managed to get away. It didn't really matter. Voldemort was finally gone. The single purpose of Hermione's life the last few months was now fulfilled and she collapsed to the ground, partly in relief, but mostly because now she could finally grieve for the man that she had lost in the process.

She was still on the ground, sobbing, when she felt _his_ presence again. Whereas before it had been a source of comfort, now it was unbearable. She felt as if she was being mocked for her devotion.

"Why don't you just leave?" she cried, her eyes still closed from all the tears. And she felt it do so, except this time, she heard footsteps and felt the passing of what could have been billowing robes. "Wait…" She got up and looked around. She saw the back of a man walking away, just a few steps from her. "Severus? Oh God, is it really you?" He turned around slowly. She had almost forgotten how he had he looked when she had last seen him, the younger Severus. _Oh God, it really _was_ him._ "Severus!"

She ran to him.

"Severus!"

He held out his arms to her and she fell into them.

"It's you. It's really you. You're alive!" The tears flowed again, but this time they were tears of joy. "I can't believe it, you're alive."

He held her back at arm's length and started to wipe away her tears. "I'm so sorry, Hermione…" he started, but stopped when she took his hand in hers and kissed it. He returned the favor by cupping her face with his other hand and tilting it upwards. "Hermione…" She heard the raw need in his voice and inched upwards to meet his lips, throwing her arms around his neck. It was the hungriest kiss of her life, savage even, but she attacked his mouth with equal fervor. When it finally ended and after catching her breath, she whispered harshly to him, "Never, _never_, leave me again!"

The look he returned to her was just as possessive. "I don't ever intend to."

"Witnessed!" And she kissed him again to seal the vow.

The End.

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Author's note:

Okay, before ya'll get all mad at me for ending this story, let me just say, I am soooooooo grateful to all of you who've made it this far, and especially those who've left reviews. It's been a great experience cranking these two stories out, working with Ali, my beta, and hearing back from readers. But it's been a month and a half now, and I'm a bit burnt out.

There's a bit more background to why I ended it like this, but if you really want to read about it, it's posted on my LiveJournal (link on my profile page), in the August 28th, 2005 post. For those too lazy, let's just say, this is one alternative ending to the story, and one of these days, I may pick up the proverbial pen again and write another version of chapter 6. Actually, I already have written the first 500 words or so of that, but again, you'll have to check out my LJ to read it.

So thanks again and keep the faith. Severus _shall_ be redeemed. Toodles!


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